It’s Wednesday and time for your daily devotional. In Romans 14, Paul teaches you how to cultivate good relationships. One way is not to force your personal beliefs on others. As a believer, you should seek to build up fellow believers, strengthening them in the faith. In today’s daily devotional, if you’re critical and condescending toward others, you’ve stopped walking in faith.
Be a Good Example
Paul begins verse 1 by cautioning you to extend grace to others, even if you don’t see eye to eye. Believers aren’t always on the same spiritual level; however, if some are weaker in the faith, don’t criticize them or make them feel bad.
Remember that everyone is on their own spiritual journey, learning and growing to be more like Jesus. Many have a lot to overcome, so have patience with them and don’t shame them for being babes in Christ. In your daily devotional, work on being a good example, an encourager, and a builder of others.
Follow Your Heart
In verse 2, Paul addresses the matter of food. Some people hold fast to dietary restrictions and feel eating certain foods is wrong. Other people believe that it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you pray over your meal, asking the Lord to bless it. The one who adheres to restrictions shouldn’t condemn the one who eats freely and vice versa. It’s not right to make food a point of contention between believers who love the Lord and serve Him.
Furthermore, some believe certain days should be set apart; others believe every day is the same. However, each believer should follow their own heart in things they allow or disallow. In this daily devotional, whatever you do, do it unto the Lord and don’t criticize others who do things differently.
Stop Judging Others
In verse 8, Paul says, “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord.” In other words, we all belong to the Lord. Christ is the One who died, rose, and is alive forevermore, and we’ll all stand before His judgment seat one day to give an account for ourselves, not for others. Therefore, aim to please Him. In your daily devotional, stop judging your brothers and sisters, and don’t put stumbling blocks in their way. It could seriously injure their faith.
Don’t Offend Others
In verse 14, Paul admits the Lord persuaded him that nothing is unclean in itself. However, if certain people consider something unclean, it’s unclean to them. So out of kindness, if others are offended by what you eat, don’t eat it in their presence. There’s no food worth hurting other people’s faith. Verse 17: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
Don’t offend others by making a big deal over what they eat or don’t eat. If so, you’re not walking in love or living peacably with others. In your daily devotional, you’re to have peace with God and live in peace with fellow believers.
Your Faith is Between You and God
In Wednesday’s daily devotional, Paul urges you in verses 20-21 not to cause other believers to eat against their conscience, and not to eat anything that offends their faith. Let your faith be between you and God, and be courteous and sensitive to others eating at the same table. Don’t hinder the exchange of love between you. Don’t brazenly enjoy dinner while leading others to eat in doubt. In today’s daily devotional, whatever isn’t done in faith is sin.
